There are countless authentic Japanese restaurants dotting Waikiki Beach: ramen joint, sushi bar, izakaya, and yakiniku (Japanese BBQ). I was in Japanese food heaven during the vacation; the abundant seafood and fresh produce accentuate the already great taste to tempting perfection.

Yakisoba or Japanese fried noodles/焼きそば is one of the dishes I particularly enjoyed during my stay there. Yakisoba is pretty much the Japanese version of Chinese chow mein, but there is a certain appeal about yakisoba—the ramen noodles andthe sharp-flavored benishoga (picked ginger strips) make yakisoba a bright-tasting noodle dish. I loved it.

Method:

Heat up wok with oil. Add garlic and stir fry until light brown in color. Add pork and do a few quick stirs before adding cabbage and carrot. Stir a few times and add noodles and all the seasonings. Continue to stir-fry until the vegetables and noodles are cooked, for 1-2 minutes. Transfer out and serve immediately with some benishoga (Japanese picked ginger).

Cook’s Note:

You can find fresh yakisoba noodles at Japanese stores or Asian stores. Usually, they come with yakisoba seasoning sauce. You can use the sauce or make yakisoba from scratch using my yakisoba recipe above.